APT Cares: Not Just an Event, A Philosophy

Dr Lynn Madden hydrates and thanks the NEBCO
crew after returning from an international research trip just hours before the event

Candles line a swag table near the exit at the APT Cares event on May 23, 2026

Informed Ally
Someone who chooses facts over fear.
Understanding saves lives.

Stigma Disruptor
Someone who challenges misinformation.
Stigma causes harm.

Impact Builder
Someone who consistently shows up.
Investment sustains positive change.

These were the captions on giveaway candles at our event held last month at New England Brewing Company’s Branford location. Over eighty people in attendance represented not only health care but people in recovery and a range of professions adjacent to public health: education, housing, local government, social work, finance, and the law.

Pictured, L to R: North Haven First Selectman Mike Freda, Branford First Selectman Josh Brooks, Kathy Eggert, Director of APT’s Guilford Clinic and Mobile Treatment Program

A very basic principle underpinned the occasion. Everybody knows somebody living with opioid or other substance use disorder, and everybody has a role to play in making sure they get help.

APT department heads presented posters highlighting their work. Friends of the APT Foundation were highly engaged in asking them questions while nibbling on appetizers and delicious refreshments.

APT poster explains how Open Access methadone treatment saves lives.

Catered crudite table set up for guests to enjoy

All the while, a highlights video ran on a loop in which various stakeholders shared their experiences. Overdose-reversing naloxone (aka Narcan) kits stacked neatly beside the screen reminded people to include this important item among their general first aid supplies.

APT Cares attendees mingle in front of a looping video showing data and interview excerpts. Dr Declan Barry enthusiastically greets guests.

“All in all,” observed Lynn Madden, CEO of the APT Foundation, “we want people to know we are here as an empathetic and informed resource. And because substance use disorder is a chronic health condition requiring access to emergent, life-saving care, we also invite them to stand with us to deliver it.”

Indeed, data tells a clear story: no community has been untouched by substance use. But statistics alone don’t change outcomes. People do.

That is why APT Cares is more than the name of an annual gathering. It reflects a philosophy that recovery is strengthened when an entire community becomes more informed, more compassionate, and more willing to act.

Poster with inspiring message on display at the NEBCO beverage station. ‘Recovery means…being the parent I want to be.

For some, that begins by learning the facts about opioid use disorder and the medications that save lives. For others, it means speaking up when stigma and misinformation stand in the way of someone getting help. And for many, it means choosing to invest their time, talents, energy, or financial support so that treatment is accessible to everyone who needs it.

In other words, we hope our supporters become more than simply donors. We hope they become advocates.

That vision will guide APT’s next community engagement campaign this fall. Building on the momentum of APT Cares, we’ll be seeking out and sharing practical ways anyone can help create a community where wanting help for opioid use is met with understanding instead of judgement, where everybody knows they have a role to play.

Because everybody knows somebody. And everybody can help.

Attendees Erica Cannata, Access Center Director, and clinician Bianca McClean share a moment with Dr Lynn Madden reflecting on how they help advance APT’s mission in the community.